Mike Alden Announced as Finalist for Athletic Director of the Year Award

COLUMBIA, Mo. - Sports Business Journal announced Mizzou Director of Athletics Mike Alden has been named as one of five finalists for the Sports Business Journal Athletic Director of the Year Award.

Alden is in his 16th season leading Mizzou Athletics, second in longest tenure at MU to Don Faurot, who served as A.D. for 27 years from 1935-42 and 1946-66.

The 2014 nominees are being recognized for excellence and outstanding achievement in the business of sports for the period of March 1, 2013, to Feb. 28, 2014. In that time frame, Mizzou won Southeastern Conference championships in football and volleyball, along with a Mid-American Conference title in wrestling. In June of 2013, Alden was named president of the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics for the 2013-14 season.

The A.D. award will be judged by the editorial staff of Sports Business Journal. Alden is a finalist along with Greg Byrne (Arizona), Judy Rose (UNC-Charlotte), Kevin White (Duke) and Scott Woodward (Washington). The award will be presented at a ceremony on May 21st in New York City.

"I'm very honored to be among this group of outstanding leaders," Alden said. "To be a finalist for this kind of award says more about our organization and the type of leaders we have than it does about me personally. We're very proud of what we have built at Mizzou, and we will continue to work very hard to represent Mizzou in a way that brings pride to the people of Missouri. We're grateful for this recognition, and certainly wish all the other finalists the best," he said.